The Dangers of Grazing

Are you a grazer? If you read my blogs on a regular basis, you
know that I am in favor of eating small portions and eating frequently
throughout the day. However, mindless
“grazing” can lead to calories going unnoticed throughout your day, because you
aren’t paying attention to how much food you're consuming! Unconscious eating can
cause unwanted weight gain and prevent us from feeling hungry at actual
meals.

Here are some tips to help you stay
clear of the “grazer” nametag:

Out of sight, out of mind.

Remove any containers of snacks
from your kitchen counter or work desk (especially candy jars!) to prevent the
temptation to reach and grab every time you look that way.

Wait 20 minutes.

Sometimes, after I eat a meal or
snack I still feel hungry. Waiting at least 20 minutes before eating something
else can prevent overeating. It takes
15-20 minutes for the signal from your stomach to reach your brain indicating
that you are satisfied or full. If I
wait that amount of time, I usually realize that I’m not really hungry anymore,
it just took a little bit of time to signal to my brain that I was satisfied.

Eat by a schedule.

Timing meals and snacks can
prevent mindless grabbing of food as you walk by the pantry or snack jar. Schedule designated meal times and snack
times. Your body loves routine, so try
to eat your meals and snacks at around the same time every day.

Drink a glass of water.

Drinking a glass of water before
meals can help prevent overeating. This
will help you feel less hungry and be able to control portions. Besides, with summer here, we could all use a
little more water in this heat!

Brush your teeth.

To avoid eating “after hours”
simply brush your teeth. With minty fresh breath, you will no longer be tempted
to eat late into the night. This trick can also be used to see if you are
actually hungry or merely have a case of the munchies.

We are all culprits of wearing
the “grazer” nametag every now and then. With these tips in mind, we can all become more conscious of our food
choices throughout the day!

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